In view of the need to increase vehicle efficiency, weight reduction is of utmost importance as a lighter vehicle will utilize less energy. As illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,576,237 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 793,581, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,442, various modifications to a drum brake backing plate are within the public knowledge to reduce the weight of the backing plate.
It is believed to be an advance in the state of the art, if a drum brake design provides a weight reduction and also simplifies the construction of the drum brake assembly.